Start with a Tomato and a Glass of Chianti Classico
Tomatoes Stuffed with Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
4 large firm round tomatoes, weighing 1 1/3 pounds (600 g) in all
One or more ripe bell peppers of the color you prefer, weighing about a pound (400 g) in all
A small onion or a shallot
2 ounces (50 g) mozzarella, finely diced
Olive oil
Minced parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
A clove of garlic
Preparation:
Wash the tomatoes, slice them in half, and discard the seeds and juice therein.
Use the back of a spoon to press the tomato flesh down, thus obtaining hollows. Salt the cavities and invert the tomatoes over a sheet of paper towel; leave them this way for a half hour, while the salt draws some of the moisture from the tomatoes.
In the meantime, stem, seed, rib and chop the peppers. Finely slice the onion and mince the garlic; heat three tablespoons of olive oil, add the onions and garlic, and then the peppers and sauté the mixture, covered for 15 minutes, stirring things around every now and then. When they have finished cooking salt them to taste.
Preheat your oven to 380 F (190 C). Pat the cavities of the tomatoes dry, and arrange them on an ovenproof serving dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the bottoms of the tomatoes, and then the pepper mixture, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake the tomatoes in the lower part of the oven for 15 minutes. Garnish them with the parsley and they're ready.
Tomatoey Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons salted or pickled capers, rinsed
5 leaves coarsely torn basil (or to taste)
Olive oil (about a quarter cup, or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne or other short thick-walled pasta
Preparation:
Cook the pasta until until al dente in lightly salted water, drain it, and cool it by running cold water over the colander.
While you are cooking the pasta, combine the other ingredients, check seasoning, and chill them in a bowl. When the pasta has cooled, mix it into the sauce.
This is, as you have no doubt noted, extremely simple. Feel free to modify it, for example by adding pitted black olives as well. Another option, which would make it into a full meal rather than a picnic accompaniment (specially if served with a green salad), would be a half pound of shredded mozzarella.
OR
Spaghetti pomarola
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds (1 - 1.5 kg) plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
A clove of garlic
A stick of celery about 6 inches long
A small carrot
A quarter of a medium onion
A bunch of parsley
A fresh or dried hot pepper, ribbed and seeds discarded (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
A scant half teaspoon of sugar (optional)
A bunch of basil
Preparation:
Begin by mincing the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, red pepper, and parsley. Sauté them in a quarter cup of olive oil; meanwhile, core and cut up the tomatoes.
As soon as the onion has turned translucent, add the tomatoes and a teaspoon or so of salt to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, till the tomatoes begin to fall apart.
Reef Mullet Livorno Style
Ingredients:
12 mullet weighing 1/4 pound (100 g) each, scaled (and cleaned if you prefer)
1 pound (500 g) plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 2/3 pound (300 g) canned plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A medium bunch parsley, minced
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
Salt and pepper or hot pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to contain the fish and sauté the garlic until it is browned. Discard it, and add the tomatoes; add a little water, and season to taste with salt and pepper, or if you'd rather, red pepper.
Cook over a medium flame for 20 minutes, and then add the fish; cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more, occasionally giving the pan a shake -- no need to turn the fish.
Dust the fish with parsley before serving them.
Note: Don't have reef mullet? The recipe will work well with most any fish.
Pizzaiola Cutlet
Ingredients:
2 pounds (900 g) veal scallops
1 pound (450 g) drained canned, or fresh tomatoes
Oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
Preparation:
Clean the slices of meat, trimming away gristle and nicking the membranes. Lay them out in a large skillet, salt them lightly, and cover them with the tomatoes (quartered if fresh, halved if canned).
Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook over a moderate flame for about an hour, checking every now and then and adding a little more liquid if things are drying out.
Ms. Francesconi goes on to observe that "the wine is optional, but adds flavor. The sauce should be thick and shiny, and is excellent over pasta, though in this case you should use more tomatoes."
As a variation, she suggests you begin by sautéing the garlic in the oil; when it has browned remove and discard it, and fry the cutlets, arranging them on a platter when they're done.
Next, cook the tomatoes and the other ingredients in the skillet to make the sauce, adding the wine last, and when it has evaporated, return the meat to the pan to heat it through. Serve, with a nice white wine such as a Fiano, or a fruity red.
Lemon Sherbet
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 pint (500 ml) water
The zest of a half a lemon
The juice of three lemons
An ice cream machine
Preparation:
Bring the sugar, water and lemon zest to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool, stir in the lemon juice, and make the sherbet, following the instructions given by the manufacturer of your ice cream machine.
Buon appetito!
